Chapter Four #3
Dillon chuckled. “No, not all of them. A group of the younger folks went horseback riding around the property. I saw Alisdare and Deena with them, as well as his sister Audrey and a friend she invited for the weekend. Then there was Prince Ari and his bodyguards.”
Prince Ari Terek Yasir was the oldest son of King Jamal Ari Yasir and his wife, Queen Delaney Westmoreland Yasir. The seventeen-year-old prince was presently attending a university in his native land of Tahran, with plans to attend Harvard next year.
The king and queen of Tahran were expected to arrive tomorrow morning and would be staying at Bane and Crystal’s second home on the Newsome Homestead. It was perfect for them and their entourage of bodyguards and other staff who traveled with them.
“Pam and Iris ate breakfast at our home. I guess with the gender reveal party tomorrow, they needed to work on some last-minute details,” Dillon said, grinning. His gaze shifted toward the door, and then he said, “I guess they’ve completed that task since they just walked in.”
Matt’s gaze shifted to the entry. His eyes immediately met Iris’s.
He was certain she’d had a birthday since the time they’d first met, so how did she look younger and even more beautiful?
A part of him wished he wasn’t so attracted to her, but he figured there was no hope for it.
She looked like sensuality personified, and to pretend she didn’t affect him was a waste of time because she most certainly did.
The two women began walking toward them, and just like his gaze was glued to Iris, hers was fixed on him. She looked cute in her suede jacket, paired with khakis and a pretty printed blouse. It was the first part of November and Denver was close to the mountains so the temperature was rather cool.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Dillon greeted his wife before placing a kiss on her lips. He then gave Iris a hug.
Matt wished he could give Iris a hug, too, but knew he couldn’t take such liberties. After greeting Pam, he shifted his gaze to Iris. “Hello, Iris. It’s good seeing you again.”
She flashed him a smile he felt all over. “Same for you, Matt.”
“I guess you finished your to-do list,” Dillon said.
Pam smiled. “Yes, thanks to Iris, I’m all done. She will be picking up the banners today at three.”
“That’s great,” Dillon said, smiling broadly. “Does that mean I get my wife back for a little while?”
Pam grinned. “Yes, you do, Mr. Westmoreland. How about if we take a drive around the property?”
“Sounds like a great idea,” Dillon said, reaching out to take his wife’s hand.
He then said to Iris and Matt, “We’ll see you two later.
Lunch will be served here at noon, and dinner will be served at six during the hoedown.
See you guys again then.” Turning, they walked away together with Dillon’s arm around his wife’s shoulders.
Matt and Iris watched them leave, then Iris glanced at Matt, grinned and said, “If I didn’t really believe Dillon wanted some private time with his wife, I’d think that was a deliberate ploy on his part to leave us alone.”
Matt met her gaze and smiled. “Since Dillon knows you’re taken, I’m sure such a thing never crossed his mind. By the way, did Warren come with you?” He knew what Deena had told him about her being unattached, but he wanted Iris to tell him that herself.
She looked up at him. “Warren and I are no longer together.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. These were the customary expected words when he really wasn’t sorry in the least.
“Well, I’m not sorry,” she said. Then she bit down on her bottom lip as if she regretted saying what she had.
Not letting her get off that easy, he was about to ask why.
Before he could do so, she slid her arm into the crook of his and said, “Last time I helped you escape, now I need you to help me do the same. I love it here, but after a few days, I got Westmoreland Country fever,” she said, giving him a wry smile.
He nodded. “Where would you like to go?”
Her smile widened. “To the Denver Museum. They have a new exhibit from Egypt that I want to see. I’d planned to go there today since it’s close to where I need to pick up the banners.
I was going to get my son to go with me, but I understand he’s gone horseback riding with a group of people and they aren’t back yet. ”
Matt nodded. “Deena is with that same group. I know my daughter, and she doesn’t plan to miss any meals, so I figure they’ll be back for lunch.”
“The same with Garlan. If you’re worried about missing lunch, we can stop in town and grab something. That is, if you don’t mind escaping with me,” she said.
“I definitely don’t mind. We can take my rental.”
“Won’t you need to leave it for Deena?”
He shook his head, smiling. “She’s with Alisdare, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s willing to take her anywhere she might want to go. My car is parked outside,” he said.
“Alright.” Then she asked, “Have you eaten breakfast?”
“No, but that’s okay. I’m not all that hungry and can wait for lunch.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive. So come on, let’s have another great escape,” he said, leading her out of the building.